Cemented carbide body containing zirconium and niobium and method of making the same

Abstract

A sintered cemented carbide body (e.g., a cutting tool) and a method of making the same. The sintered cemented carbide body includes tungsten carbide, a binder phase of at least one metal of the iron group or an alloy thereof, and one or more solid solution phases. Each one of the solid solution phases has at least one of the carbides and carbonitrides of a combination of zirconium, niobium, and tungsten. The method includes the steps of providing a powder mixture that contains tungsten carbide, a binder metal powder comprising at least one metal of the iron group or an alloy thereof, and at least one of the carbides and carbonitrides of both zirconium and niobium including a powder of the carbides or carbonitrides of zirconium and niobium, forming a green compact of said powder mixture, and vacuum sintering or sinter-HIP said green compact at a temperature of from 1400 to 1560° C.

1. A sintered cemented carbide body formed by sintering a starting powder mixture, the sintered cemented carbide body having increased resistance to plastic deformation comprising:
 tungsten carbide; 
 a binder phase comprising at least one metal of the iron group or an alloy thereof; 
 one or more solid solution phases wherein each one of the solid solution phases comprising at least one of the carbides and carbonitrides of a combination comprising zirconium, niobium, and tungsten, and wherein the zirconium and the niobium having a source comprising at least one or both of a solid solution carbide consisting essentially of zirconium and niobium or a solid solution carbonitride consisting essentially of zirconium and niobium; and 
 said body having a content mass ratio Nb/((Zr+Nb) greater than or equal to about 0.6. 
 
     
     
       2. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein one of said solid solution phases consists essentially of a carbide or carbonitride of a combination comprising zirconium, niobium and tungsten. 
     
     
       3. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein there being a single solid solution phase, and the single solid solution phase comprising of a carbide or carbonitride of a combination of zirconium, niobium and tungsten. 
     
     
       4. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein one of said solid solution phases comprises a carbide or carbonitride of a combination of zirconium, niobium and tungsten, and at least one or more of titanium, hafnium, vanadium, tantalum, chromium, and molybdenum. 
     
     
       5. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein there being a single solid solution phase, and the single solid solution phase comprising a carbide or carbonitride of a combination of zirconium, niobium, and tungsten, and at least one or more of titanium, hafnium, vanadium, tantalum, chromium, and molybdenum. 
     
     
       6. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein two or more different solid solution phases are present, each one of the solid solution phases comprising a carbide or carbonitride of a combination of zirconium, niobium and tungsten, and at least one or more of titanium, hafnium, vanadium, tantalum, chromium, and molybdenum. 
     
     
       7. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein the binder phase comprises cobalt, a CoNi-alloy or a CoNiFe-alloy. 
     
     
       8. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 7  wherein said binder phase additionally comprises one or more of chromium and tungsten. 
     
     
       9. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein said binder phase comprises between about 3 weight percent to about 15 weight percent of the total mass of said body. 
     
     
       10. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein the total contents of a carbide or carbonitride of a combination of zirconium, niobium and tungsten of said one or more solid solution phases comprise between about 1 weight percent and about 15 weight percent of the total mass of said body. 
     
     
       11. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein one of said solid solution phases comprises a carbide or carbonitride of a combination of zirconium, niobium and tungsten, and at least one or more of titanium, hafnium, vanadium, tantalum, chromium, and molybdenum, and the total content of the elements titanium, hafnium, vanadium, tantalum, chromium, and molybdenum does not exceed about 8 weight percent of the total mass of said body. 
     
     
       12. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 11  wherein titanium comprises between about 1 weight percent and about 8 weight percent of the total mass of said body. 
     
     
       13. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 11  wherein tantalum comprises between about 1 weight percent and about 7 weight percent of the total mass of said body. 
     
     
       14. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 11  wherein hafnium comprises between about 1 weight percent and about 4 weight percent of the total mass of said body. 
     
     
       15. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein one or more wear resistant coating layers are applied to a surface of said body wherein the coating layers are applied by either physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition. 
     
     
       16. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 1  wherein the sintered cemented carbide body comprises a cutting tool body having a rake face and at least one flank face wherein the rake face and the flank face intersect to form a cutting edge at the intersection thereof. 
     
     
       17. A sintered cemented carbide body having increased resistance to plastic deformation comprising:
 tungsten carbide; 
 a binder phase comprising at least one metal of the iron group or an alloy thereof; 
 one or more solid solution phases wherein each one of the solid solution phases comprising at least one of the carbides and carbonitrides of a combination comprising zirconium, niobium, and tungsten; and 
 said body further comprises an outermost zone being free of any solid solution phase, but binder enriched, up to a depth of about 50 μm from an uncoated surface of said body. 
 
     
     
       18. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 17  having underneath of said binder enriched zone one single solid solution phase being homogeneous throughout said body except said binder enriched zone. 
     
     
       19. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 17  having underneath of said binder enriched zone, two or more coexisting different solid solution phases showing a concentration gradient between the surface and the center of said body. 
     
     
       20. A sintered cemented carbide body formed by sintering a starting powder mixture, the sintered cemented carbide body having increased resistance to plastic deformation comprising:
 tungsten carbide; 
 a binder phase comprising at least one metal of the iron group or an alloy thereof; 
 one or more solid solution phases wherein each one of the solid solution phases comprising at least one of the carbides and carbonitrides of a combination comprising zirconium, niobium, and tungsten, and wherein the zirconium and the niobium having a Zr-Nb source comprising at least one or both of a solid solution carbide consisting essentially of zirconium and niobium or a solid solution carbonitride consisting essentially of zirconium and niobium; and 
 said body further comprises an outermost zone being free of any solid solution phase, but binder enriched, up to a depth of about  50  um from an uncoated surface of said body. 
 
     
     
       21. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 20  wherein the source of the Zr-Nb source comprises a zirconium-niobium solid solution carbide. 
     
     
       22. The sintered cemented carbide body of  claim 21  wherein the content mass ratio Nb/((Zr+Nb) being greater than or equal to about 0.6.